The White & Red Rose Café opens in Flat Rock

The owners of a new restaurant in Flat Rock opened Friday with an upgraded kitchen that serves intercontinental cuisine for locals and tourists alike.

By Mark SchulmanTimes-News Staff Writer

FLAT ROCK — The owners of a new restaurant in Flat Rock opened Friday with an upgraded kitchen that serves intercontinental cuisine for locals and tourists alike.Richard and Wendy Pontefract are hoping The White & Red Rose Café at 2700 Greenville Highway in the Singleton Centre will provide the community with a unique dining experience.Chef Steve Conn serves up dishes for the lunch and dinner that include appetizers, salads and entrees including shrimp and grits, and pasta dishes.“Daily chef specials will give him a lot of latitude,” Wendy Pontefract said.The menu also lists roasted stuffed peppers, catch of the day and beer and wine. Most items are locally purchased.In the kitchen, the Pontefracts installed a new self-contained ventless cooking system that has a flat grill, burners and a convection oven.“This allows us to have the means to cook in a commercial setting,” Wendy Pontefract said.The 80-seat restaurant that was once Mama Christina's has two floors, with a large patio on the second floor.“The location is incredible and we saw a lot of potential,” Wendy Pontefract said of their two-year search to open their first restaurant. “We really liked the layout,” Richard Pontefract added. Wendy Pontefract looks forward to sharing The White & Red Rose Café's ambience with others.“We want customers to be comfortable and enjoy a good meal,” she said.The Pontefracts are hoping to build a customer base of regulars as well as become a destination for tourists.Customers can also buy pieces of art inside The White & Red Rose Café.“You come in, you like it, you can buy it,” Wendy Pontefract said. “We are doing everything we can do to be ‘the place' to go to in the Village of Flat Rock.” Hours of operation are from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Contact the restaurant at 828-692-4470.Reach Schulman at 828-694-7890 or mark.schulman@blueridgenow.com.